Trust and Time
by Alidiabin
Summary: How Tony and Ziva came to trust each other time. Starts from Code of Conduct to Faith and a inbetween chapter of Hanukah now reordered in chronologicsl order.
1. Pasta and Plans

Disclaimer: I own nothing

_**Trust and Time**_

**Pasta and Plans **

"Zee-vah" Tony called as she walked to her rental car in the car park

"Tony" Ziva replied turning around.

"You know how you said you would do anything to stop me calling you Probie" Tony said in the middle of the car park.

"Yes" Ziva said.

"I'm hungry and you know that Pasta thing you make" Tony begun.

"I need to get some supplies I will meet you at your apartment in an hour and a half" Ziva said heading towards her car.

Tony stood in his apartment he had removed his tie he put his dirty washing in his bedroom. He cleaned his coffee table and took his jacket off the black leather couch. He closed the doors to the bedroom and bathroom. He heard a knock at his door. He opened it and found Ziva standing at his door holding a reusable bag filled with food.

Ziva looked at Tony he took her bag. She had driven to the Italian Deli, which Tony frequented and picked up pasta and other ingredients.

"Did you turn the oven on?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah" Tony said. The two of them looked at each other uncomfortably. Ziva moved to his kitchen. She put the vegetables on the chopping board. She looked around for his utensils. She always got everything out before starting cooking. She was used to the layout of his old apartment not the one he had lived in since he returned from Agent Afloat.

"Where are you utensils?" Ziva asked. Tony moved from the edge of the counter and towards Ziva, he leaned up close to her and opened the cupboard above her revealing a pot of utensils.

"Here," he said.

"Thanks" she said quietly.

"Do you need a hand?" Tony asked. Ziva smiled.

"Yeah" Ziva said. "You can open the sauce" Tony grabbed the sauce.

There was a silence between them the only noise was Tony struggling with the can opener and Ziva chopping. Ziva looked up and at Tony.

"So" Tony began.

"So" Ziva said. They both stood there dancing around the awkwardness

"What movie do you want to watch?" Tony asked.

"It's your place," Ziva said, "You chose"

Tony stood at the edge of the kitchen unsure what to do.

"I'm goanna get a shower," Tony said.

"Ok" Ziva said.

Tony walked into his bathroom this was more awkward than the dates he'd been on not long after Jeanne left. Though he had since broken his dry spell with a collection a dark haired one-night stands he had subconsciously chose women who resembled Ziva especially in the months when she was gone. He threw his dirty washing on the pile and headed to the shower.

She stood in Tony's kitchen. She took a deep breath this dinner was more awkward than a dinner with a father. She could hear his singing Sinatra in the shower. The silence between them reminded her of her parents when Tali died and they refused to talk her father simply threw himself into work. Her mother left.

She returned to her cooking. Tony emerged in worn jeans and an OSU sweatshirt.

"Good shower" Ziva asked.

"Yeah" Tony said. Ziva turned the pasta off she looked on the counter realizing she didn't have a colander.

"Colander is in the cupboard next to the oven," Tony said reading her mind.

"Thanks" Ziva said.

Ziva stood at the edge of his kitchen as he looked through his DVD's.

"Sit down" he said "I promise the couch doesn't bite"

"I am sure it doesn't" Ziva replied.

She sat on the leather seat but could not get comfortable she wriggled around before realizing she was sitting on something. She reached behind her picking up a rectangle object. She help it. It was a book The Lovely Bones. She had read it countless times she recognized the breakdown of a family after the death of a child. Her mother had left before the first anniversary of Tali's death but unlike the mother in the book Ziva's mother never returned she committed the ultimate sin after losing her battle with depression.

"I was thinking Pulp Fiction," Tony said holding out the DVD.

He saw her holding the book.

"I wanted to read it before the movie comes out" Tony said

"It's being made into a movie?" Ziva asked.

"It was on entertainment tonight all summer" Tony replied then he realized that all summer Ziva had been in Salims cell.

"Who is directing it?" Ziva said trying to smooth over the speed bump in the conversation.

"Peter Jackson he's the same guy who directed The Lord of The Rings. He's an Australian," Tony said.

"He's from New Zealand," Ziva corrected.

"Whatever it looks like a good movie," Tony said.

"I'd like to see it" Ziva said

"We could go together," Tony offered.

"I'd like that" Ziva said. "I better check on dinner"

They faced each other across the coffee table eating. The awkwardness was fading but not gone completely.

A/N: The reason it was a bit hinky was because during 'Code of Conduct' it was a little awkward. (I think I only watched it once) and yes Peter Jackson is a Kiwi.

Now that I've reordered and corrected I hope it makes more sense.


	2. Candy and Chemistry

Disclaimer: I own nothing

_**Trust and Time**_

**Candy and Chemistry **

Tony stood at Zivas desk. He was in earlier than usual but he knew Ziva was in the building. He had seen her car a rental as it seemed the mini had managed to be stolen which was very convenient for the Mossad as it contained evidence of the actions that had occurred last spring. The shrink had ordered a follow up since her return just over a month ago. He opened her desk draw, which he had once snooped through egger to find out why she was returning to Tel Aviv for the second time in six weeks. He placed the packages in the draw and walked away.

Ziva walked in with her bag on her shoulder the good shoulder the one that Salim had not found necessary to grip onto whilst holding his knife. Though she had been in the building over an hour, she was determined to look like she just arrived in order to avoid questions. She yawned. She had gone to bed late again. It was partly her own doing she had gone with Gibbs to see Mike, Leyla, Amira and the newly happy Shada off. Damon Werth had also used the NCIS taxi service and thanked Ziva and Gibbs again before heading off. The events of the previous couple of days had affected her in small ways. The psychologist called them triggers. Mikes cigarettes had reminded her of Salims filthy habit and Ziva had privately rejoiced when Leyla who believed he had quit discovered them and binned them outside. The flash bang and invasion of Gibbs house had reminded Ziva of the helplessness she felt trapped in Salims cell. Nightmare free slumber was still a wish her mind was yet to grant and last night had been no exception. She stubbornly refused to take pills as her mother had when she worried for her father. Several shots of vodka had aided her in getting enough sleep to be a functioning member of society. She just hoped that criminals had decided that the sudden burst of cold weather would prevent them from doing anything that NCIS would have to investigate.

Tony watched her she looked exhausted.

"Werth keep you up all night?" he queried though he doubted Ziva would have been doing what he suggested.

"Damon has gone to Chicago to see his parents" Ziva replied calmly. He could hear the tiny hint of disappointment. "We gave him a ride to the airport"

"Oh" Tony said. He did not bother with small talk or stupid comments. Despite a meeting in a bathroom and apologies on both sides, the old chemistry had still not yet returned completely. It reminded him of his parents when his mother first got cancer something changed even when she was in remission for the precious six months in the spring of his eleventh year. The old Anthony senior and Claire spark was not there. It never returned and his father never had the same spark with Donnatella, Brigitte, Mai, Kayta or the one who he married and divorced in Vegas and Tony still could not recall her name. He just hoped that he and Ziva would get their spark back.

Ziva sat at her desk. The squadroom was silent no banter flowed between her and her partner. Neither of them questioned the whereabouts of their other team members. Nor did they offer pleasantries or talk about the unpleasant weather. Ziva logged on to facebook though the agency officially blocked the site having McGee on the team had its advantages. It also turned out that cybercrimes had written the block program while McGee did his stint there. She had a new friend request from her cousin's thirteen-year-old daughter Hannah. Now Ziva felt a little bit old and slightly guilty she had missed Hannah's bat mitzvah perhaps she would go to her cousin Dana's sons Bar Mitzvah in a few years as they like her no longer resided in Israel but in London. She went onto her first cousin once removed page though they were distant relatives Hannah and her brother Noah called Ziva their Auntie as Dana and her husband were only children but not by birth they like Ziva, had buried siblings.

She also opened an Israeli newspaper, which published online on a separate tab. Tony had laughed when Ziva had told him that Israeli politicians have sex scandals just as their united states counterparts did. The latest politician in a sex scandal was a friend of her fathers and had been at a party Ziva had attended during her stint in Israel last year. She read the headline that Israels answer to Angelina Jolie was pregnant with her fourth biological child to make her tribe of children most of the adopted ones were Arab orphans, ten in total. She saw news on a bombing and closed the tab not wanting to view sad news at that time.

She went to collect a piece of paper in order to note down her nieces email address so she could apologize for missing her bat mitzvah. She touched a packet that was familiar but not in the environment of her desk draw. She looked at her open draw. On top of her notepaper and next to her deodorant were two packets of candy. One packet was very familiar to her it had Hebrew writing on it. She had grown up with this candy. Her sweet Aunt Nettie had sent a packet every so often when Ziva was at boarding school but she knew Nettie had not sent it. Nettie always sided with Eli and her favorite relative in her fathers' generation was ignoring her calls. She looked at the next packet. They were her favorite chocolates. The packaging was in English but they were American made. She knew who would have given her these. A reminder of her homeland and a tasty treat from her new home. She picked them up and moved to his desk.

"You know," she said. "I cannot possibly eat these all by myself"

"You know I'd do anything to help a lady," Tony said not adding anything sarcastic at the end of the sentence.

Gibbs walked out of Vance's office and found his Senior Field Agent and Probie throwing candy into each other's mouths. Gibbs walked down the stairs. Ziva and Tony stopped waiting to see what the boss man would do.

"Well aren't you goanna offer me one" he asked. Ziva presented him with the two choices. He smiled and took the all-American candy. Ziva smiled.

A/N: All descriptions of Israeli news/politicians / celebrities are fictional. I also am a believer that the idea that Ziva is 27 is a typo.

This story idea started as fillers but alas it is now more of a story.


	3. Furniture and Films

Disclaimer: I own nothing

_**Trust and Time**_

**Furniture and Film**

Tony opened Ziva's personnel file looking for her new address that of her third apartment in DC. Her first apartment had been in Silver Spring. She had lived in one of those buildings where each tenant had a door with stairs to reach their apartment. She had lived on the third floor. Her elderly neighbor Doris on the second floor and Ziva still visited the elderly woman and they went to synagogue together. Her next apartment was a former Mossad safe house and only a few items were actually hers. Tony read the address of her new place which was actually a twenty minute walk from the Navy Yard and it would not surprise Tony is she did walk. Her new place was in the group of apartments that were built in the last thirty years and were originally for Navy personnel and NCIS Agents in DC temporally. It had been sold to a landlord and not much had changed it was still cheap rent and short leases. It still housed many Navy associated people.

He pulled up in his car. The off-white building actually reminded him of a motel. The units all had outside access. Tony walked up the stairs of the first building Ziva's apartment was the third on the third of the four floors. Most of the windows had blinds drawn over them and inside the apartment two doors down from Ziva Tony recognized a computer geek from Cybercrimes who had tried to kiss Abby one Christmas party. The geek reminded Tony of McGee as he was busy on his huge computer system. Tony reached Ziva's apartment it didn't have blinds. Tony knew why it was the same reason his no longer had blinds. Blinds made the light stream in through bars much like it did in Salims cell.

Ziva David stood in the lounge/bedroom of her new apartment one fold out single mattress was serving the purpose as seat and bed. She looked at the curtains. After the fold out bed, they had been the first thing she brought. She had also splurged on her credit card and gotten a laptop which McGee and Abby had spent a paperwork afternoon 'pimping'. It obviously did not occur to them that it was unlikely Ziva would use the mp3/WMA converter or Excel but she was thankful they had helped her. She moved to the kitchen planning to water her plant she saw Tony walking down the balcony.

Tony looked at her lock. He was Probie hazing. He had tried to convince McGee to participate but McGee was still dealing with the events of the past couple of days. He picked at the lock but the door opened. He found Ziva standing in a grey NCIS tracksuit holding her Government Issue gun at his head.

"How you doin'?" Tony asked.

"I was fine until someone tried to break into my apartment," Ziva exclaimed. "This is Probie hazing yes. McGee told me about this. I always wondered why you never did this four years ago"

"You weren't a NCIS agent then" Tony said walking in surveying the small apartment, "Wow you're really into the minimalist thing"

"It's very easy to clean" Ziva replied sarcastically.

"Fancy a double feature" Tony said holding up The Sound of Music and Paycheck.

"How could I resist" Ziva replied as he walked towards the fold out mattress.

They sat on her fold out mattress that they had laid along a wall. The laptop sat between them.

"I can't see this," Tony moaned pulling the laptop closer to him.

"Now I can't see," Ziva replied. She moved closer. They sat next to each other but not touching. They sat like that until the end of The Sound of Music though Tony fell asleep his head rested on Ziva's shoulder she sat with the laptop on her lap.

Tony woke up to find Ziva asleep. He moved the laptop away and took the DVD out of the laptop. Ziva flinched. Tony moved her so she could lie down she turned and faced the wall her back to Tony. He covered her with the sleeping bag that was on the floor. As he moved the sleeping bag, it lifted her sweatshirt and saw the scars on her back. He looked at her sadly and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He covered her back up, put the laptop on the counter, and left locking all three locks behind him.

He stood outside her door and for a moment he felt like years ago when he visited her once a week when he was team leader. They had tried again at that kind of friendship after Jeanne left but then Jenny died and Ziva went back to Israel and they lost the friendship. Now he found himself looking in her window as she slept. He hoped they would learn to trust each other and be friends again.

A/N: This has no plot. In addition, my description of housing in DC is false, as I have only spent two hours in the US in a LA transit lounge. This is set after Endgame.


	4. Paint and Playlists

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_**Trust and Time**_

**Paint and Playlists**

Tony walked down the balcony of Ziva's apartment building. He had agreed to help her paint the new place they had initially planned to paint her apartment a few days ago but the power outage hindered that. He reached the door of her apartment the curtains were drawn back and through the sheers Tony could see furniture covered in plastic.

Ziva stood in her apartment of thirteen days. It reminded her of the large house she had lived in during those years when her father's job was a control officer and he hopped between embassies. Once her mother had known, they were to remain there which was usually a fortnight after arriving she would spend the week painting. When Tali came along during her fathers appointment in Paris Ziva had been allowed to help paint. She remembered the day her mother allowed her to skip school as they painted Tali's nursery a soft pink as Ziva's mother just knew Tali was a girl. Ziva surveyed the apartment she had put the fold out mattress and all her other stuff in the cupboard that had doors like shutters. She had ordered a sofa bed on the internet and it had arrived this morning covered in plastic. She saw Tony walk towards her door in an Ohio state sweatshirt and old jeans.

Tony was pleasantly surprised at how much better the apartment looked in the winter sun and after a clean. Tony could smell the bleach from outside. Ziva stood in an NCIS jumpsuit not a red one like what Abby wore but a blue/grey she had tied the arms around her waist and had underneath a NCIS t-shirt.

"Wow you got all the memorabilia" Tony uttered. He went into the kitchen and found an NCIS mug. He knew Ziva had not taken the NCIS stuff because she wanted it but because she had nothing else. He knew what that was like in his first apartment after graduating Police Academy he had always had everything before after years of living in Frat Houses and boarding school dorms he had suddenly found himself missing the small things like cups so he took a couple from the Peoria PD break room.

"Are we going to paint or are you going to admire my kitchen?" Ziva asked.

"Hold your horses" Tony said. He moved into the main room as it served as both a lounge and a bedroom. He found Ziva opening the paint tin revealing a light sea green. It was so different from the off-white color of her last apartment or the light coffee color of the apartment before that.

"You like it?" Ziva asked. "According to Ducky green is a peaceful color"

"It's a nice color," Tony replied. "So I'll take that wall," Tony said pointing to the wall adjoining to the kitchen and opposite where her bed had been.

"OK" Ziva said.

She walked over to her laptop and opened windows media player. She needed music it was rather addictive. She knew what from her music collection could cheer her up after a tough case and she knew what she liked to run too. She looked at the artist's names a Mexican band Kinky, Israeli Hip-hop Hadag Nachash and some Pink well lots of Pink but mainly her faster paced stuff. Ziva was sure that her slower paced stuff was beautiful but in Israel if the radio played a slow and somber song it meant a bomb had gone off and the longer the slow and somber songs played, interrupted only by news bulletins and the only advertisements being funeral or death related, the more dead. Ziva's music as a result had to be fast.

"So what's playing on Radio Ziva?" Tony asked as her painted her wall and found himself covered in the paint. Ziva clicked on Pink and Ave Mary A came on.

"Suicide bomber in a student shop, Tokyo I think we got a problem" Ziva sung while she painted. He remembered the impromptu piano lessons they had which had prompted him to go out and buy a baby grand piano in black. Ziva often sung along to the music that he played. She had a beautiful voice though the last time Tony had heard it was when Ziva and Amit Hadar took a little detour to Michael's gravesite on the way back to the airstrip. Ziva had sung a death prayer of some description and Amit had bowed his head respectively. Tony turned around as the song had changed to Funhouse now Ziva was dancing. Tony smiled.

A little while later, they met at the wall underneath the window that stretched across the top half of the entire back wall. They were on their knees Ziva was singing along to a song called The Kiss which Tony was pretty sure was not Pink but he chose not to mock her about her taste in music to be similar to that of twenty-four year old Sarah McGee. Tony put down his last stroke and turned to Ziva.

"Done," he said. Ziva smirked then put the paintbrush over his nose covering him in paint.

"Oh no you didn't" Tony cried. Ziva bolted up. She jumped over the paint can as Tony tried to put some paint in her hair. She squealed like a little girl. She ran towards her front door but came face to face with Gibbs.

"Gibbs" she chocked. Ziva walked back into the apartment that smelt strongly of paint. She looked at Tony and frowned. She had asked Tony not to involve everyone else; as she believed, they had helped enough and didn't want them to see her living in squalor.

"It's just Gibbs," Tony shouted. "Abby, Palmer, McMusical and the McSister are having a Glee marathon" answering her unasked question. Gibbs held out a wooden coffee table. Ziva looked at him.

"Thank you" Ziva said as he put it down on the middle of the floor. When stood back up Ziva leaned up and kissed his cheek. Tony swore he saw a slight smile touch his bosses face.

"Ducky donated this," Gibbs said holding out an old dressing screen, which Ziva could use to separate bedroom and lounge.

After a second coat of paint and the assembly of the new slat bed and the placement of the screen and couch. Ziva could see a home in the apartment. Ziva looked at Tony and Gibbs and smiled.

"There is something missing" Tony mused out loud. "Shelves maybe" Ziva did not answer but looked in the corner next to the couch that was opposite the screen that covered most of the bed as they had decided to lay it against the wall on one of the long sides. A piano was missing but after spending her paycheck and overdoing the credit card, it was going to have to wait until the New Year at least.

A/N: I could not leave Ziva's apartment like that. FYI 'The Kiss' is not a song by Pink but by Karmina and was featured on 'Requiem' this is set the weekend after 'Power Down'


	5. Poker and Paychecks

Disclaimer: I own nothing

_**Trust and Time**_

**Poker and Paychecks**

Ziva woke with a sore head. Her first thanksgiving where had celebrated properly. She like the rest of the team except Gibbs who was probably now in his basement had drunk too much. Ducky of course not wanting his fellow medical examiner colleges to be autopsying them after they died because of driving drunk had insisted that Mallard Manor take guests for the night though it was morning before everyone retired to bed. Abby and McGee happily shared the double bed in the guest room. Gibbs did not seem to care and left shortly after sleeping arrangements were decided. Tony took the couch in the lounge and Ziva took the chair on the other side of the lounge. Tony had drunkenly fallen asleep moments after hitting the pillow. His snoring had filled the air reminding Ziva of their undercover mission where they pretended to be married. Eventually Ziva had joined him in the land of slumber. The nightmares were less frequent. The two night sleep drought when the power was out had helped. She woke up a jacket on top of the blanket she had gone to sleep with. She yawned and looked across to find the little dogs where Tony had been sleeping. His expensive shoes were on the mantle shelf as a way to prevent the little mutts as he referred to them from tearing up half a paychecks worth of footwear. The placement of the shoes told her he was still there.

Tony stood in the kitchen. He had been up an hour, perhaps. He was so hung-over that time was a blur. He sat on Ducky's counter with the DiNozzo defibulator laid out ready to cure the hangover from hell. Ziva snoring had woke him up. He had got up to find her thrashing about and shivering he had covered her with his jacket which seemed to sooth her. He stared at the remnants of diner that last he had celebrated thanksgiving properly was with Jeanne that was also the first time he really enjoyed the holiday.

His mother was not American and his father took little Anthony to his Uncles house. Tony uncle had been the younger brother and refused to go into the family business instead he ran the butcher shop that Tony's grandmothers family owned. His Uncles wife Aunt Lorraine was not very good at cooking and by the end of it Tony and his cousin Pete were trying to feed the dog thanksgiving diner but even it refused. Pete's cousin on his mother's side Stella would end up eating all three portions. Once boarding school came along the holiday like Easter and Christmas became another where he would sit in his room with a specific movie with the other children whose parents didn't want. In college he started going to the casino at thanksgiving.

He had gone to Pete's house the thanksgiving after Pete got married when Tony was at Peoria Police department Stella was in her last year of college and at least half her size. After a bit too much wine, he and Stella had a private celebration. Pete caught him and Tony walked out of the house. Since then he had volunteered to work each holiday or found a casino to play in. Since the last DiNozzo family thanksgiving, Stella had gotten married and divorced twice and had a child by each husband. Pete's darling wife had also popped out a couple of rugrats whom Tony sent presents too every Christmas like he did his cousin Chrispians two children Poppy and Callum.

He saw Ziva walk into his line of sight. She had his jacket on. She was buttoning it over the red colored singlet and underwear set she had gone to sleep in. The coat hung past her thighs the bottom touching the mid thigh area. Tony could only see the hint of the scars that she had covered up.

"Morning" he said.

"Morning" she replied. She turned Duckys kettle on. Then opened Ducky's cupboard. She muttered in Hebrew.

"I saw some Jasmine tea in the shelves with the Earl Grey and there are limes in the fridge. I think him and Doctor Hampton party with the tequila," he said.

"I think he expected we would all get a little bit drunk," Ziva said as the kettle finished boiling and she made her tea.

"That smells" Tony cried wrinkiling his nose.

"And that looks disgusting" Ziva said pointing to the DiNozzo defibulator. They drank in silence.

"Were your neighbors upset when you cancelled" Tony asked.

"I didn't have plans with them," Ziva said. "I had plans with Stieg Larsson" A flash of recognition crossed Tony's face.

"You're reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Tony asked.

"You know who Stieg Larsson is" Ziva replied. Ziva finished her tea and put the cup in the sink. She went to the draw where Ducky kept the tea towels.

"The Duck man has a dishwasher you know" Tony said. Ziva opened the draw and found a packet of playing cards. She pulled them out.

"Would you like a game," Ziva asked.

"You know I was the best poker player in my frat house," he told her.

When Abby and McGee awoke hours later it was to the laughing and banter of Ziva and Tony.

"Royal Flush beats your hand pay up Tony," Ziva cried. They walked groggily down the stairs Ducky behind them and found the two of them playing poker. Ducky smiled.

"Let me get a cup of earl grey and deal me in Anthony" Ducky said.

A/N Thanks for reviews xD.


	6. Dreidel and Driving

Disclaimer: I own nothing

_**Trust and Time**_

**Dreidel and Driving**

Tony looked at Ziva's empty desk it was mid afternoon and Ziva had taken the afternoon off she had told them she was not feeling well and even given a fake cough. Gibbs had smiled and wished her a happy Hanukah. Ziva had smiled and told them she would bring them some Sufganiyot on Monday. Tony knew from previous Hanukahs that Sufganiyots were similar to doughnuts. Gibbs uncharacteristically dismissed them not long after the clock struck five.

Ziva smiled at Doris her elderly friend who had also been her neighbor for the first three years she lived in DC. Since Ziva had been forced to cut all ties with her many friends at, the Israeli Embassy Doris had become her lone Jewish friend, being Israeli and raised in a country filled with Jews this felt strange. They reached Ziva's apartment block. In the summer Ziva had spent in Israel Doris had fallen in her home and her sister in laws step daughter who was her emergency contact had put her in a home. Doris compared Shalom Gardens to the Auschwitz concentration camp she had escaped just after the Second World War. Since living in America, Ziva had seldom acknowledged her faith she sent presents to the children of both her remaining cousins even though she had not met her maternal cousin Ella's youngest child. Doris had suffered a lot since she had came to America in 1946 she had been widowed when her own child was just and infant and that child had not survived into adulthood. Ducky or Janice with the man hands would most probably surmise that Doris saw Ziva as the granddaughter she never had and Ziva saw Doris as the grandmotherly figure she never really had.

Tony reached Ziva's apartment building and walked the familiar route to her apartment he reached her kitchen window which was different. The curtains were held back and a menorah sat with six candles lit as well as an extra light. Tony could see through the window Ziva's former neighbor Doris. He smiled and walked away just happy Ziva wasn't spending the holiday alone.

"Tony" Ziva called. She was leaning on the door frame in the red dress she'd worn to Ducky's thanksgiving.

"Happy Hanukah" Tony said holding out a bag of chocolate coins.

"Doris and I need a pot for the dreidel game" Ziva said. She leaned up to Tonys cheek and kissed it "Thanks" Tony smiled and turned ready to walk away. "Would you like to join us?" Ziva said. "You would get the Sufganiyots when they are fresh"

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. Ziva walked to him bridging the gap between them, grabbed his hand, and pulled him towards her door.

Tony stood in Ziva's apartment that he had painted with her just a fortnight ago. Doris sat on Ziva's two seater couch.

"Doris Day" Tony said.

"Doris you remember Tony, yes" Ziva asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"I may be old dear but my memory is still as sharp as those knives you have" Doris replied. She turned to Tony "Next she'll be accusing me of being deseased" Tony laughed.

"Of course not" Ziva said walking out carrying the jelly filled donuts on a plate. She placed the plate on the wooden coffee table Gibbs had made her.

"So what did you ladies give each other for Hanukah?" Tony asked.

"I gave Ziva some kitchen stuff," Doris said "And Ziva got me some toys for my cats and a Boston Legal DVD"

"Boston Legal" Tony exclaimed recalling the television show that he sometimes watched when he was channel flicking.

"Doris likes William Shatner" Ziva whispered in a tone similar to that of a school girl.

"Oh" Tony said raising his eyebrows.

"Shall we play dreidel?" Doris said producing the spinning top and not wanting to delve any futher into the subject.

"I win" Ziva cried in glee a while later. She took the haul of chocolate coins. Doris chuckled. Ziva smiled. Her and Tali and their tribe of cousins, Nettie belived in having as many children as god would allow four of those children had died with Tali in the bus bomb, had often had long games of dreidel in the upstairs rooms while Zivas mother and Ziva's Aunt Nettie disagreed about food. Though their arguments were never strictly about food. Nettie had always believed that her brother could have married a better woman than Zivas mother. Zivas mother had always found Netties opinoions narrow minded. Ziva however had always preferred Nettie who cooked things without burning and lit the candles every Shabbat. Ziva's mother could not cook and cleaned with a cigarette in her mouth and spent Shabbat with a strange man in a bar trying to forget the emptiness of her life.

"Another round" Tony said having found the game particularly entertaining especially seeing Ziva's competitive streak. Doris yawned.

"Perhaps not" Ziva replied. "Come on Doris lets get you back"

"I don't like it there" Doris cried in a childlike tone.

Tony had somehow been appointed chauffer as the three of them descended towards Ziva's new black mini cooper.

"Ok ladies no funny stuff in the back" Tony said.

"Of course driver" Ziva replied.

"God how do you drive in this Zee" Tony said adjusting the seat.

They reached Shalom Gardens and Ziva returned Doris to the home.

Tony tapped on the dashboard and watched as Ziva walked towards the car.

"The nurse told me off" Ziva told him getting into the passenger seat "For keeping Doris out so late" Tony laughed. "Doris called Nurse Jodie a Nazi"

They drove towards Ziva's apartment block.

"I still have heaps of food," Ziva said. "Would you like to help me finish it"

"Yeah and maybe we could have another game of Dreidel" Tony suggested.

"So I can beat you again," Ziva cried as they walked out into the night.

A/N: All Hanukah info is from Wikipedia so if its false I apologize. The next chapter is set after faith and will be the last.

And in reply to a view when I have written cried I often meant said but I have always found that word terribly boring so I apologize for any confusion and thanks for the reviews.


	7. Trees and Texts

Disclaimer: I own nothing

_**Trust and Time**_

**Trees and Texts **

Ziva stood in the corridor as she and Tony watched Delores leave with the gift.

"What you did for her" Ziva begun "It was beautiful"

"Not really" Tony said.

"Are you being modest?" Ziva cried trying to supress a laugh.

"Are you saying I am not modest" Tony replied.

"No" Ziva said slowly as they walked toward the car park.

Tony watched as Ziva walked away and realized that he would be spending another Christmas alone. The loneliness of his Christmases spent at boarding school with only 'It's a Wonderful Life' stung him. Ziva walked slowly towards her car.

Ziva stood at her car door secretly hoping Tony would invite her to Christmas as she had to Hanukah just a few weeks ago. She frowned and got into her car she decided she would call Doris tomorrow and see what she wanted to do. Ziva just hoped that would not consist of working at the homeless shelter with the Rabbis wife who was judgmental of Ziva and her not so Jewish lifestyle.

"Zee-vah" Tony called. Ziva turned quickly which quickly destroyed the image she was trying to portray of not caring.

"Yes" Ziva said.

"I was thinking since I spent Hanukah with you and Doris Day that we could maybe spend Christmas Eve together and maybe we'll go surprise Doris Day tomorrow" Tony babbled.

"I'd like that" Ziva said. "I need to get some stuff I'll meet you at your place in an hour and a half"

Ziva stood in her apartment collecting clothes. She would never have imagined that after everything that happened that previous spring and summer that she and Tony would be spending Christmas Eve together. Then again, seeing how close they were becoming she couldn't fathom spending his holiday any other way. Doris had called informing Ziva she had plans for the evening but would not mind meeting for lunch or something tomorrow.

Tony began to clean his apartment he had put all his washing in the basket and put the cushions on the couch. He had found the tiny Christmas tree had brought to impress Jeanne, which she looked at and laughed because she assumed he was joking when he told her that was his tree. Jeaane had been raised with huge trees that her family spent Christmas Eve decorating. She had hugged Tony when he finally admitted to her that he never decorated a tree as when he came home from Thanksgiving at his Uncles his father had hired a specialist company to put one up. He stared at the barren tree trying to forget the distract himself from his painful memories.

"Oh well we'll have to go au natural" Tony commented on the lack of decorations outloud and to an empty room.

He heard the clicking of his lock. Same old Ziva he mused. Then he remembered that Ziva wasn't the same Ziva a lot had changed in the three months since she came back from Somalia. She was still on edge when she was in Abby's lab due to the smell of Caf-pow and McGee had told him that when they were stuck in an elevator Ziva had spent two hours holding her gun and was not relaxed. Tony turned as Ziva entered the apartment in the red dress that suited her so well.

"Jackson can text" Ziva cried happily "He sent me a text inviting me to Christmas dinner" at that point Tony's phone vibrated. Tony went to collect his phone on the counter Ziva picked it up and opened it. "Who's Poppy?" Ziva asked.

"Give me that" Tony cried trying to collect his phone.

"Who is she?" Ziva said running away. Tony followed her as she ran into his bedroom he cornered her next to his bedside table. She giggled and jump up trying to run over the bed. Tony seized the opportunity and tackled her.

For a few seconds but what felt like forever. Tony lay on top of Ziva they were both panting and Ziva trying to suppress a giggle. He remembered them like this after many movie nights when they fought over the remote. Tony moved her hair from her face. She had stopped giggling and was still. She pulled her hand up and stroked his cheek as if she was verifying the authenticity of the man on top of her and the moment. Then as a painful reminder of her summer he body began to ache she had this same feeling after runs and after the sessions with the physical therapist at Bethesda who was a former marine and hard on Ziva which had been exactly what she needed. With everyone treating her strangely at work, she had needed someone to tell her to suck it up. A couple of the marines in there had told her that when they were better they were taking her out to celebrate even though some of them would never walk again. Ziva began to squirm under Tony. He rolled off her and they lay in his bed silently.

"Poppy is my cousin Chrispians daughter from his first marriage she's twenty-two and sends everyone texts at Christmas" Tony said.

"My cousin Dana's eldest Hannah sent everyone on her facebook page holiday greetings" Ziva replied. They lay there a bit longer somehow getting into a comfortable position where Ziva lay with Tony's left arm over her and with her right leg drooped over his left leg. Tony's stomach made a loud noise.

"You're hungry," Ziva said starting to get up "Perhaps I could make something"

"Yeah" Tony said "I'll put It's a Wonderful Life on"

"It is a DiNozzo tradition yes," Ziva said walking into the lounge. Tony followed her. Since he was able to remember he and his mother had watched the movie together. When she got sick the various Nanny's most of whom Anthony Senior slept with while his wife was dying would sit through it with him before going off to call their families or getting the last plane or train out on Christmas Eve to be with their families. When he got to boarding school him and the other children who were left behind and the nuns at his first school that was a catholic one, which he managed to get kicked out of for having GSM at aged fourteen. At the next school it was the teachers who for that one day did not try to act scary like the had to at a military academy and everyone would watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' together.

"Sort of" Tony replied. Ziva had begun cooking with the few ingredients present in Tony's spartan kitchen. Tony then noticed his tree, which now had two earrings hanging off it. He looked at Ziva's bare ears.

"Merry Christmas Tony" Ziva whispered. She leaned over to her bag and presented him with a chocolate Santa though they had agreed no gifts the chocolate Santa fell into the same category as the chocolate coins they'd eaten at Ziva's house a fortnight before for Hannakuh. He had never been allowed one as a child his mother had ranted off about Santa being Satan. His father however had tried to buy Tony off with expensive gifts that he never played with. Each year he gave the previous years gifts most of them still unopened to Elena the housekeeper who had a son Pedro who was his age and liked flying toys and rubix cubes.

They sat an hour later eating the wonderful meal Ziva had crafted out of few ingredients an art that she had learnt after many missions of hopping between safe houses where markets were not always and option. Tony had put 'It's a Wonderful Life' on and Ziva leaned in close as he broke up his Santa and shared it with her just as she had a fortnight ago with the chocolate coins after they had driven Doris home. Ziva looked up at Tony she trusted him completely and she was sure he trusted her. As Ducky had once told her, it would all work out over time.

A/N: I'm ending it there. Its weird how something that was meant to be fillers has developed into a full blown sort of story. Anyways I digress thanks for reading and reviewing.


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